Blind-slat operator



(Model.)

F.NELSON.

BLIND SLAT OPERATOR.

Patented Sept. 4, 1883.

www m im l UNITED STATES.y

.PATENT- OFFICE.

FREDERICK NELSON, ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA. Y e

SPECIFICATION 'forming part of Letters Tatent No. esaaaanatod september4, 1883. i Application tied March 5,1883. .(Modol.) i

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, FREDERICK NELSON, a subject of the King of Swedenand Norway, having declared my intention of becoming a citizen of theUnited States, and residing at St.e Paul, in the county of Ramsey, inthe State of Minnesota, have invented` certain new and usefulImprovements in Blind-Slat Operators, of which the followingspeoiiicationis a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference beingalso had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to window-blinds Ahaving pivoted slats; and itconsists in the method of opening, closing, and locking the slats in anydesired position, as hereinafter described and shown, and then sought tobe specifically defined by the claims. i

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aV front view, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectionalview, and Fig.` 3 is `a semi-sectional side view, of one section of -a iWindow-blind, showing my improvements attaohed thereto. detached detailperspective views of portions of the working parts. Fig. 6 is anenlarged sectional front view, Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional sideview, and Fig. 8 is a cross'secr` tional view, of the lower portionsofthe blindslat operating rods and their locks. Fig. 9 is an enlargedfront view similar to Figa 6, showing the additional attachment toenable outside blinds tolbe operated from inside` the house withoutraising the sash. Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the lowerend `of the key which is-used to operate the `additionalattachmentshownin'Fig 9.` Fig. 11 is an enlargeddetachedllperspective.view ofthe pinion and its slotted head. Figs. 12,13, and

14 are views illustrating a slight variation in the means for operatingthe Slat-moving rods. Figs. 15 and 16 illustrate the manner of forniingand protecting the key-hole throughthe window sash or glass Whentheadditional feature shown in Fig. 9 is used..

A is the frame; B, the slats, and a ci the bars connecting the slats toeach other, `ar` ranged as in` an ordinary Window-blind.

Lying upon one of the jambs of the blind is a rod, b', preferably offlat metal, and adapted `to be moved np and down a short distance`through guides or capsc c2, which hold it. in place loosely upon thejamb. i

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged' arm, d', projecting outward and off towardthe `upper section of slats B, as shown, `and adapted to be enclasped bythe forked end e of an arm, C', and pivoted in said forked end by arivet or pin, so that the arm Cf will be free to oscillate laterallyupon the armd, but prevent-` ed from movingl perpendicular-ly by reasonof the arm d being held in the fork e', as shown. The opposite end ofthe arm C is provided with oppositely-branching feet g', by `whiohit isconnected to the slat-moving bar c. rigidly, and `both ends move up; anddown simultaneously therewith. By this means the moving of the rod b upand down will cause the arm C to open and close the-slats B of theuppersection of the blind, the lateral play of thefork con-the arm dpermitting the slats to open and close Without cramping the parts.

b2 is a short dat metal rod, similar to the rod b', lying partiallyupontop of the lower part of the rod b and partially alongside of it, asshown, andprovided with an arm, d2, similar to the arm d on the rod b',and fitting into a fork, e2, on an arm, C2, having ifeet.` g2, by`

which it is rigidly connected to the bara2 .of the 'lower section of theslats Bin precisely the same manner as the arm C is attached to 4the barc of the upper section' of slats. The upper end ofthe rod `b2 runsbeneath a grooved cap, 1h, (see Fig. 5,) the rod b2 having a rib, fi.,adapted to fit into the groove of the cap, while the lower ends of boththe rods b b2 pass be neatha honsing7or guide-cap, E. Each of the rods bb2 is provided with teeth m of lthe,

same size and form, into whicha small lug, n,

on the inside of the housing E is adaptedto t,

as shown in Fig. 6'. Each ofthe rods b bAz is pro- Vided\inside thehousing E with a small independent spring, il r2, by which the teeth mofthe rods are held in contact with the lug a. These springs may bearranged and applied in any desired manner; `but forthe purpose ofillustration I have shown them of different forms and lengths, so thatthe edge of one will always sition theymay be, so that one spring cannotget upon top of the other, but each will retain the same relativeposition upon its own rod b b2. The rod b will be longer than the rodband `overlap the edge of the other in whatever po- IOO VIO

will be provided with a separate knob, F F2,

by which the rods may be moved up and down vmore easily and independentof each other.

By forcing either one of the knobs F F2 inward toward the slats B untilthe teeth m are free from the lug u, either one of the rods b or b2 maybe moved up or down to open or close the slats B to any desired extent,and then when the knobsY are released the springs r or r2 will throw therods b or b2 outward again and cause the lug n to enter whichever one ofthe teeth m is opposite to it. the slats B may closed entirely or openedto any desired extent and locked by the lug n and teeth ym in anydesired position. By this means the slats may be opened entirely andlocked open, or closed entirely andlocked shut, or opened to any extentand locked in that position. I can thus regulate the amountof lightadmitted, prevent rattling or moving by the wind, and in outside blindsprevent the slats being turned by persons from the outside.

The parts will be reversed for right and left hand blinds, and will beformed to project as little as possible from the face of the blind, .soas not to interfere with the window-sash..

The two rods b b2 may be arranged entirely independent of each other atthe bottom, if desired; but by arranging them as shown one cap, E, andlug n can be made to do duty for both, and the parts made to occupy lessroom on the blind. I

The arms G C2 may be forked, as shown by dotted lines C3 in Fig. 1, toadd strengthto the arm.

This device may be used on either inside or outside blinds, the partssimply requiring requiring slight changes of proportions and positionstoadapt them to different kinds and sizes of blinds.

The extensions on the small arms d di, which project into the forks e e2of the arms C C2,

l may be dispensed with in some cases without detracting from theperfect operation of my invention, the additional length of these arms dd2 giving greater stiffness to the connection between the arms C C2 andd d2.

When used as shown in Fig. 1 on outside blinds, the lower sash will haveto be raised a short distance to venable the knobs F/ F2 to be reached,and to enable the slats to be operated from the inside of the window andwithout raising the sash.

I form gear-teeth m2 upon the same side of the rods b b2 as the teethm', and below them, as shown in Fig. 9, and mounta pinion, t', in ahanger, t2, and arranged to mesh into the teeth m2. rlhe width of thefaces of the teeth of the pinion is the same -as the faces of the teethm2, and the space below the hanger t2 is large enough to permit thepinion to be pulled outward to engage with the teeth m2 on the rod b2,

or be pushed inward to engage with the teeth m2 on the rod b', so thateach rod may be operated separately. 'Ilhe hole in the hanger t2,

By this means l through which the shaft t3 of the pinion t passes, isslotted, so that the pinion may be moved to one side to force the rods bb2 inward and disconnect the teeth` m from the lug n when the pinion isto be used, the pinion thus acting in the same manner as the knobs F F2,as far as unlocking the rods is concerned. 1A peculiarshaped head isformed upon the shaft of the pinion t', outside the hangertg, consistingof a T-slot, t4, formed crosswise through the head, and with the shankpart t5 of the T- slot opening out through the face of the head. t isanother small slot opening out through the end of the head, so thataT-head onakey, G, (see Fig. 10,) may be set into the slots t4 and t,and then pushed in to force the pinion t inward and be turned by the keyto move the rod b', or pulled outward and turned by the same key to movethe rod b2. By this means the pinion may be made to act upon either setof the teeth m2 on the rods b b2'. A hole will be made in thelower partof the sash, through which the key G may be inserted to operate thepinion, and the hole adapted to be covered to keep out the cold when notin use. In some cases it will be necessary to form this key-hole for thekey G through the glass itself. In this event Iwill use the deviceillus'- l trated in Figs. 15 and 16, consisting in cutting a hole, o',inthe glass somewhat larger in diameter than the width across the T-headof the key G. A strip of soft rubber, o2, is then folded over the edgeof the glass to completely cover the hole fo on both sides of the glass,and secured in that position on the glass in any suitable manner, eitherby a rivet, v3, as shown, or in any other manner. Small holes the samesize as the shank of the key G will be formed through therubber piecet2, opposite the centers of the hole o in the glass. By this means thesoft rubber will stretch and permit the larger head of the key to bepassed through the hole v and then close around the shank of the key andprevent cold air from entering.

A hard rubber or metal flap or cover v4 will be arranged to cover thekey-hole when not in use, and may be provided with a spring, o5, to

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cause it to be self-closing, and remain closed when not pushed one sideto insert the key. When the key-hole is formed through the sash, onlyone single piece of the soft rubber v2 and the iiap v4 will be used onone side of the sash.

When the additional feature shown in Fig. 9 is used on blinds withnarrow j ambs, thehousing E and springs r r2 will be reversed and theteeth m m2 formed on the inner edges of l. In a blind-Slat fastener, thecombination, with the pivoted slats B B and their connecting-bars et a2,of actuating-rods b b2, sliding in guide-caps on the blind-frame7 andprovided With locking-teeth fm m', oonneetingarms C G2, rigidly attachedto the Slat-bars a d, and pivoted laterally to the actuating-roda the ylooking lug or stop n, and springs 1 r2, substanl tially as and for the.purpose herein specified.

2. The combination of the sliding actuatingrods b b2, provided With"looking-teeth m m', the stop n, springs 1J r2, andthe pinion t,`hav

ing a lateral movement in its bearings, Whereby it is adapted to unlockthe said actuating- Vitnesses:

` C. AN. WOODWARD, LOUIS FEESER, Sr.

